A Self-Drive Trip to Lijiang, Lugu Lake, and Dali During the Early 2021 Pandemic — Off-Season Yet Still Beautiful!!!

📍 Dali · 👁 1 reads · ❤️ 59 likes

Travelers: 2 | Duration: 5 days, 4 nights | Time: February | Style: Independent travel + self-drive

DAY 1 (Wed, Feb 3, 7:25–10:25) Guangzhou – Lijiang

DAY 2 (10:00–2:00) Lijiang – Lugu Lake

DAY 3 (13:40–18:00) Lugu Lake – Dali Shuanglang

DAY 4 (11:30–12:30) Shuanglang – Dali Ancient Town

DAY 5 (13:45–16:20) Dali Airport – Guangzhou

We nearly missed the flight again. During the pandemic, domestic flights required checking in two hours early. At 5:10 a.m., I woke with a jolt—oh no, we won't make it! We arrived at the airport at 6:10. As we were queuing, a security officer shouted, 'Who's on the 7-something flight? Hurry, come with me!' We made it safely to Lijiang, Yunnan. And by the way, no nucleic acid test was needed! All you needed was the Yunnan Health Code and a green travel code to get through (though we still got tested in advance).

The airport was really tiny. After collecting our luggage, we went to pick up our car. The rental person was waiting outside the airport at the agreed time. After checking over the car, our Yunnan journey began.

From the airport to Lijiang Ancient Town took about half an hour, with clear roads all the way. Humming a tune, we reached the parking lot. Cars aren't allowed inside the ancient town, so we dragged our luggage past the town's market. Everyone was carrying baskets on their backs, full of Lunar New Year vibes.

Seeing the sunburned cheeks on every child and adult, I knew for sure—this is Yunnan. This must be the year with the fewest tourists ever. Our first night was at Fulin Inn, which you can find on Ctrip. My boyfriend's classmate's dad recommended it, saying we could pick any room we liked for 200 yuan a night. After choosing a room and dropping our bags, we went for a brunch, as we were starving. The lovely landlady suggested a nearby rice noodle place, said to be the best and cheap.

A simple bowl of rice noodles warmed our hearts. After eating, we asked the owner how to get to Lion Hill, the highest point in the ancient town. The owner was very helpful, giving us detailed directions on the quickest and most convenient way.

There were hardly any people on the road, mostly locals. It took about 15 minutes to climb to the top of Lion Hill from the ancient town, with many uneven and slippery steps—so ladies, no high heels. No ticket needed to enter the town, just show your health code. A few shops were still open along the lanes, but most had closed for the New Year. I felt like I was in a fake Yunnan. At the hilltop, we picked a café with a view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

The café was right beside Lion Hill, the only spot with a perfect view of both the ancient town panorama and the snow mountain. Sipping Yunnan coffee in the sunshine—this is what life is about.

I stole a glance, then whispered, 'Can I take a picture of you?' He smiled kindly and said yes. We got to chatting. It was his third day sketching here; he'd been at it since 9 a.m. I was amazed, at a loss for words—'A true hermit artist, so awesome!'

Sitting quietly, letting go of all thoughts, soaking in the coffee and sunshine—bliss.

The full view of the ancient town. It was a bit chilly on the hilltop, windy even in the afternoon—so a thick jacket is recommended. After coffee, we headed down.

On arriving at Lijiang Ancient Town, I felt every brick and every tile was a scene. No need to hurry here; just wander slowly along the cobbled lanes, listen to the babbling streams, and lose yourself in this paradise. With no fixed itinerary, we spent most of our time strolling around the old town, and all the photos above were taken during these walks.

Back at the inn, Uncle—back from Dali—arranged dinner for us. We went to eat chicken hotpot right at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The scenery was lovely, and the taste was superb. It might be the best chicken soup I've ever had—so delicious!

Chatting and laughing about traveling during the pandemic, eating and drinking—what more could one want?

After dinner, we headed back down—about a 40-minute drive. We could just make out a dozen or so stars. Uncle said, 'When you get to Lugu Lake, you'll see so many stars it'll give you goosebumps—this is nothing.' We rested in our room for a bit, then Uncle had two bottles of wine waiting for us downstairs.

We started drinking at 9 p.m.—just the three of us, as Uncle's wife and daughter were meditating in their room. Uncle said, 'It's so pleasant to be in a place like this, chatting and laughing with you.' We owed everything to Uncle's living map—he took care of our accommodation, food, and activities. Thank you! Hahaha, the evening of laughter and chatter slowly faded, and we washed up and went to bed.

Friendly reminder: Yunnan is really dry. Be sure to ask for a humidifier. As a Cantonese, I woke up in the middle of the night with a painfully dry nose, and it was normal to have a nosebleed the next morning.

We got up at 9 to head to the fairyland of Lugu Lake. After breakfast at KFC, we set off at 10:30, a drive of about 4 hours.

We wound through countless mountain passes and 181 bends. Fellow travelers, drive safely and don't overtake unless necessary—life is precious. We witnessed a near accident: a car just clipped a truck's wheel, luckily not a crash, but I was terrified the car might be sent flying off the cliff. Scary!

Over one hill and onto the next, all winding roads. It suddenly reminded me of the Swiss mountain roads last year—exactly alike. Midway, we spotted a beautiful lake, so we stopped for photos and a bathroom break.

After snapping photos, we continued. My boyfriend dozed off. Ding—we arrived at Lugu Lake! Entry tickets cost 70 yuan per person, and you need to show your Yunnan Health Code and ID.

Lugu Lake sits on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, jointly governed. A pristine lake embraced by mountains, it offers breathtaking scenery. It's rightly called a pearl on the plateau, with impossibly blue water.

We stayed at the Other Shore Inn on Lige Peninsula inside Lugu Lake, in the Liuru room, 1080 yuan a night—the only room with a 270° lake view.

There's a parking lot at Lugu Lake. We arrived around 2:30 p.m., called the guesthouse, and someone picked us up on a three-wheeler. Almost all restaurants were closed, just one or two left open, and they only served rice noodles. We had a quick bowl and returned to the guesthouse.

Once here, we didn't even want to go to Dali anymore—if only there were more food options. After a short rest, because strong winds made boating unsafe in the afternoon, we decided to drive around the lake.

The road circling Lugu Lake is 76 km, the best way to experience it. As the lake straddles Yunnan and Sichuan, a single wrong turn on the loop road and you're in another province. The drive from the Yunnan side to the Sichuan side was thrilling, with hardly any people around—it felt like a post-warzone.

A little further ahead is the Walking Marriage Bridge.

The Walking Marriage Bridge spans the Sea of Grass. In Mosuo tradition, during visiting marriages, men cross this bridge to their lovers' homes. Because it's associated with Mosuo romance, many couples treat it as a bridge of love. Holding hands from one end to the other is said to promise a lifetime together—haha.

After crossing the bridge and taking plenty of scenic photos, night fell and we drove back for dinner. From Sichuan back to Yunnan took about 50 minutes. There were no streetlights, so drive carefully! After dark it got colder and colder, so keep a padded jacket handy. On the way back we saw a Mosuo archway—so distinctive! Everywhere is scenic.

We arrived at Lige Village. At noon we'd asked and learned the only restaurant in Lige Village open for dinner would be that night. Otherwise, we would have been eating instant noodles in this paradise. We had grilled meat (beef, chicken cartilage), stir-fried cabbage, and yak meat with celery. It was my first time tasting yak, never having tried it elsewhere—pure milky flavor, not gamy at all.

We ordered four dishes and couldn't finish. The charcoal-grilled chicken cartilage and yak with celery were the best. The bill came to just over 200 yuan. After dinner, back at the guesthouse, we watched the stars from the balcony after washing up. Truly, the sky was full of stars—big and small, twinkling—it gave me goosebumps. I'd never seen so many stars in my life. Too bad my lousy camera couldn't capture even one. Amazing!

Originally, we planned to head back to Lijiang on Day 3 to meet Uncle and then go to Dali on Day 4. But we changed plans and decided to drive six hours straight to Dali the next day. So we immediately booked a guesthouse in Shuanglang, Dali, and decided to sleep in at lovely Lugu Lake, check if the weather was calm for a pig-trough boat ride, have lunch, and then set off.

With nearly six hours of driving ahead, we slept in until 11 before departing. We had cup noodles at the guesthouse, and at noon the staff took us to the parking lot on the three-wheeler.

After loading our luggage, we went for a pig-trough boat ride. The wind was milder than yesterday. With just the two of us as passengers, we had to charter a boat. You can choose a longer or shorter route; we took the short one, half an hour, 100 yuan for two. The boat circled Lige Peninsula. Remember to buy a bag of dried fish to feed the seagulls—they'll follow you the whole way.

The scenery at Lugu Lake is a painting with every snapshot. Those with more time should stay a few extra days. The temperature swings are big—once the sun sets, it gets windy and cold, so keep a jacket handy.

After the boat ride, one disappointment was not seeing the water-born blossoming flowers, as they only appear in summer, growing in the lake. So we decided to come back in summer.

At 1:30, we set off for Dali, over 300 km, a 5–6 hour drive, expecting to arrive by 6. One thing we noticed: locals drive very, very slowly, supposedly because they're in no rush to get home. The roads were mostly empty. Over mountains and more mountains, I was so bored and drowsy from the sunshine that I opened my laptop to watch Ace vs Ace 6.

A big shoutout to our driver for nearly six straight hours. Right at 6, we arrived in Shuanglang, Dali. There were many convertible and electric scooter rental shops. We stayed at the Juran·Sea View Sunset Honeymoon Loft Starry Room, 370 yuan a night. To our surprise, the owner was also from Guangdong, giving us a homey feeling. We chatted in Cantonese, so heartwarming. The owner mentioned they also have a branch in Lugu Lake.

We decided not to go out that night, just order takeout at the guesthouse, drink some local beer, and rest—since we felt there wasn't much to explore.

'Wind, Flowers, Snow, Moon' refers to Dali's four famous sights: the wind in Xiaguan, flowers in Shangguan, snow on Cangshan Mountain, and the moon over Erhai Lake.

We spent the evening at the guesthouse, watching TV, sipping drinks, having a late snack, and listening to the sounds of Erhai Lake—so pleasant.

After waking up, we set off. My clever boyfriend/chauffeur chose a route around Erhai Lake heading to the ancient town, so we could enjoy the lake and take photos along the way.

Driving with the windows down, wind blowing—so refreshing.

We saw a beautiful tree and stopped to take photos. Isn't the journey all about relaxation and enjoyment? We snapped pictures wherever we pleased.

After that, we slowly continued. Near the ancient town, Uncle recommended a hamburger joint on Foreigner Street run by a foreign friend, and an amazing fresh orange juice. We parked nearby and walked over. Dali Ancient Town was relatively more crowded; unlike Lijiang and Lugu Lake with almost no tourists, here many shops were at least open.

The beef in the burger was the best I've ever had. The fries were over-fried and not great, but I was very happy with the orange juice.

After eating, we strolled around, found a café, and sat in the backyard soaking up the sun. The place was quiet, like a courtyard house, with a guesthouse next door.

So comfortable, we just wanted to sit quietly for an hour, or two, until sunset... After that, we went to Reflection Park to see the Three Pagodas.

Tickets were 75 yuan per person. Though we didn't capture the reflection, we took a photo as a memento to prove we'd been there.

The Three Pagodas had very few visitors—deserted. We saw plenty of aunties with bamboo baskets selling handicrafts.

After the pagodas, we headed to the guesthouse. Uncle, having been in Dali two days earlier, had booked it for us—bargaining down from over 1000 to 400 yuan a night. Impressive! We arrived at the Five-Colored Cloud Hotel to park, and a tricycle took us the short distance to the Five-Colored Cloud Inn.

After checking in, we rested for over half an hour.

The room was a proper one-bedroom suite—great value at 400 yuan. The highlight was the heated toilet seat, earning 120 points. A good guesthouse hinges on a clean bathroom. Superb! After dark, we went for mushroom hotpot, recommended by the inn staff. Prices were fair, no rip-offs. We heard other places keep two menus, one for locals and one for tourists.

We ordered a mushroom set with five varieties (see-hand-turns-green, chanterelle, porcini, morel, and matsutake). The see-hand-turns-green mushroom must be cooked for at least 20 minutes or it's toxic, causing hallucinations of little people dancing. We'd seen news of many food poisoning cases from undercooked mushrooms.

After eating, we strolled around. Dali Ancient Town is relatively small—you can walk it in about an hour.

It was my first time eating insects, a bit scary. The lady boss said, 'What's to be afraid of? You must try this in Dali, and it's full of protein—only I sell this here.' She kept pushing it. I thought the taste was okay, though fried a bit too dry.

Hand in hand, we strolled slowly, watching passersby—a romantic date in the ancient town, haha. The town wasn't large; after a lap, we bought flower cakes and brown sugar. Back at the guesthouse by 10, we'd thought about having a drink on bar street, but it was too noisy—our age couldn't handle it. Casually, we asked the landlady if she sold red wine. She said, 'Pick any.' My boyfriend picked one, but then she wouldn't sell it, saying she didn't know the price. So we picked a second. Originally 300 yuan, but then she said, 'Half price for you,' probably feeling bad about refusing the first after we'd spent so long choosing. She even threw in some fruit, haha.

After washing up, we started drinking and watched Sisters Who Make Waves 2. With the humidifier, we slept very well.

We'd originally booked an 11 p.m. flight, but due to worsening pandemic conditions, the late flight was canceled, so we switched to a 1:35 p.m. flight. After waking, we had rice noodles downstairs, bought a coffee, and met a friendly, energetic corgi.

Full and content, we prepared to return to Guangzhou. A bit reluctant—if it weren't for the upcoming New Year, we would have stayed a few more days.

We reached the airport at 12:30; the car rental person was waiting at the entrance. We'd delayed returning the car by an hour, which would normally incur a fee, but he said it'd be waived with a five-star review.

At 16:25, we landed back in Guangzhou.

In summary: a fulfilling trip through a nearly empty Yunnan, a once-in-a-decade sight. Looking forward to returning in summer for the water blossoms. Happy ending! Wishing everyone a happy Year of the Ox, full of bullish energy!

Travelogue Contents

1. DAY 1: Lijiang Ancient Town

2. DAY 2: Lugu Lake

3. DAY 3: Lugu Lake – Dali Shuanglang

4. DAY 4: Dali Shuanglang – Dali Ancient Town

5. DAY 5: Dali – Guangzhou